Athenex, in partnership with SUNY Polytechnic Institute, plans to build the high pharmacy oncology manufacturing facility in Dunkirk, New York, to manufacture sterile high-potency oncology drugs.

Governor Andrew M Cuomo announced Athenex’s plans to build the new facility in Dunkirk on 11 February 2016.

Construction on the project is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2017 and production is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Details of Athenex biotech plant

The facility will be located off Lake Shore Drive East (Rte 5), northeast of the Dunkirk city line, in Chautauqua County. The state-of-the-art facility will occupy an area of approximately 300,000ft².

The plant will manufacture sterile high-potency oncology drugs in a specialised and controlled environment. Oncology pharmaceutical products, which are often listed in the FDA’s drug shortage list, will be manufactured for sales worldwide.

The project is expected to generate 900 jobs in areas such as high-tech manufacturing, product formulation, regulatory and pharmacovigilance.

Athenex’s partnership with New York State and SUNY Polytechnic Institute supports its presence and growth in the state and also contributes to the generation of high-paying jobs in different locations in western New York.

The oncology drug manufacturing facility is the first of its kind to be built in North America in the last 15 years.

Financing for the oncology drug production plant

Athenex will invest $1.52bn in the project, of which $200m will be invested by the New York state government, through the SUNY Polytechnic Institute.

The state government will contribute to the project as part of the Buffalo Billion Investment Development Plan, to support the regional economic development and create jobs in the western New York region.

Marketing commentary

"The oncology drug manufacturing facility is the first of its kind to be built in North America in the last 15 years."

Athenex, a speciality oncology drug manufacturing company based in the US, is mainly engaged in the development and production of next-generation therapies for cancer diseases.

The company’s headquarters in North America has a formulation product development centre and a pilot plant, which mainly deals with the refinement of oncology drugs before the technology is further transferred to a new manufacturing facility in Dunkirk for large-scale production.

Athenex is committed to produce innovative oncology drugs that deliver a life-changing impact on cancer patients. It is currently involved in the development of ten innovative and proprietary products.

The company operates multiple offices in China and the US, and has regional development collaborators in Dunedin, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, China, Seoul, South Korea, Taipei, Taiwan, Buenos Aires, Argentina and Guatemala City, Guatemala.